Crazy birdie stuff going on

[Tally]

My two parakeets always have been fairly tidy (for birds) in their eating habits. Yesterday and today they are acting crazy. Louise is actually getting into her feeder and scratching around which throws seeds and veggies everywhere. Frankie's not much better because he's right there on the perch yelling at her. They each have their own feeding dish so I don't know what's going on. I mean she is tossing all her food out of the cage. Anyone have that happen????

 

[Lacewing]

How long have you had these budgies? Also what gender are they? This information would help us to help you.

 

[itzjbean]

I'm not very familiar with budgies but this sounds maybe like nesting behavior? Agreed with the response above, some more information would be helpful. How long have you had them? Are they sexed? Have you changed their diet or anything lately?

 

[Tally]

I've had them for almost 2 years and they are male and female. They are rescues so I don't know how old they are. I thought it was a nesting thing too. She has been laying eggs every month or so. I got her a nesting box but she wanted nothing to do with it and avoided it like the plague. She receives calcium via the fresh green veggies that she eats plus I have calcium powder but am reluctant to give it to her. I do not want babies but I don't know what to do about the egg laying.

 

[Lacewing]

If these two budgies are male and female and together in the same cage nature will take its course and there should be chicks. If you don't want budgie babies there are a few things you can do. Go on line and order fake eggs sized for budgie. When and if eggs are laid substitute the dummy egg for the real egg and destroy the real egg. The female will sit on the dummy eggs until she tires of them. The other thing you can do is when and if eggs are laid you can either freeze or boil the egg and give them back to the female to brood them. You will need some kind of nesting box, be it wood, paper or cardboard. Otherwise eggs will be dropped on the cage floor and broken. She then will continue to lay most likely. Get some substrate for nesting material, Aspen is sold in pet stores and is a good product (safe wood chips) You can even use an empty Kleenex box if you do not want to invest in another kind. Good that you are aware of the need for extra calcium. I would give her some because you don't want egg binding or what I call "jelly shell eggs"

 

[Lacewing]

DummyEggs.com, Dummy Eggs Help Stop Egg Laying in Pet Birds! Fake Eggs, Solid Plastic Eggs in all sizes.

 

[itzjbean]

I've had them for almost 2 years and they are male and female. They are rescues so I don't know how old they are. I thought it was a nesting thing too. She has been laying eggs every month or so. I got her a nesting box but she wanted nothing to do with it and avoided it like the plague. She receives calcium via the fresh green veggies that she eats plus I have calcium powder but am reluctant to give it to her. I do not want babies but I don't know what to do about the egg laying.

If you don't want babies, why did you give her a nest box? They are used for laying eggs and making babies... As for the calcium, a cuttlebone installed in the cage would help her increase calcium levels and are available locally at most pet stores. As for the eggs, does she lay on them? Have any interest in them at all? You can simply throw them away, but she may be prone to keep laying. If she's laying excessively (like 10 a month) then once idea would be to switch the eggs out with fake ones.

 

[Tally]

The eggs just drop onto the floor and break. I was told by a woman who raises budgies that I had to provide a nesting box then when she laid an egg in the box I should take it and substitute the dummy egg. She wanted nothing to do with the box, ignored it and continues to lay eggs on the floor of the cage. By the time I find them they are broken. She always has a cuttle bone in the cage and I've seen her using it. I'm apparently as confused as she is.:52:

 

[plumsmum2005]

You could try giving them more room to play and fly ie a flight/aviary? Loads of branches, swings, toys etc? It could be a day use flight and they come indoors again in the evening?
If they have so much more to do and space to use then maybe the strong hormonal urges may lessen? It doesn't sound like she is actually bothered about being a mom, but the hormones are saying different. You do not say anything about mating?

 

[GaleriaGila]

All good points and ideas above!

Meanwhile, just to offer my "chaos theory", the Rb thinks up new and crazy stuff to do all the time. He goes through phases of dumping his food, piling toys in his water, sitting in his food bowls, throwing everything possible out of the cage, nonstop clanging toys against the bars... on and on...

It's probably mating behavior, but it could just be chaos.

 

[Tally]

They already have a very large parrot sized cage and because of all my dogs and cats (rescues) they really cannot come out and fly around. I'll try the dummy eggs idea but wow are they expensive.

 

[SassiBird]

I vote for chaos theory. Seen it myself.

All good points and ideas above!

Meanwhile, just to offer my "chaos theory", the Rb thinks up new and crazy stuff to do all the time. He goes through phases of dumping his food, piling toys in his water, sitting in his food bowls, throwing everything possible out of the cage, nonstop clanging toys against the bars... on and on...

It's probably mating behavior, but it could just be chaos.